Largest U.S. Legal Group Challenges Bush Practice as Undermining Constitution (tags)
On January 24, 2006, the American Bar Association (ABA) issued a press release stating that, “Presidential signing statements that assert President Bush’s authority to disregard or decline to enforce laws adopted by Congress undermine the rule of law and our constitutional system of separation of powers…” The press release was publicizing a report by a blue-ribbon ABA task force which was created in June 2006 to examine the “changing role of presidential signing statements” under the Bush administration. On August 8, 2006, the ABA’s House of Delegates overwhelmingly approved the report by voting to call on President Bush and future presidents not to issue signing statements that claim the power to bypass laws, and it called on Congress to pass legislation to outlaw the practice.